Comparison of Copper Water Pipes and Stainless Steel Water Pipes

The following is a comparison between copper and stainless steel water pipes:

Material Characteristics

Copper water pipe: made of high purity copper, such as TP2 copper, with good electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, ductility is good, easy to process bending, can be made into a variety of shapes of pipe fittings, installation can save materials and costs.

Stainless steel water pipe: the main materials are 304, 304L, 316, 316L, etc., high strength, corrosion resistance, dense chromium oxide film on the surface, good corrosion resistance in a variety of water qualities, including soft water, and low coefficient of thermal expansion.

Corrosion resistance

Copper water pipe: strong corrosion resistance, and oxygen reaction generated by the copper oxide film can prevent further corrosion, but in the ammonia, sulfide and other specific environments are susceptible to corrosion, the PH value of the water is too low or too high, containing a high concentration of chlorine and other substances, but also accelerate its corrosion.

Stainless steel water pipe: in a variety of water quality, including soft water and other corrosive water quality, corrosion resistance is excellent, the surface of the chromium oxide protective film can effectively prevent oxidation reactions.

Hygiene and health

Copper water pipe: antibacterial, antimicrobial properties, can kill Escherichia coli, Candida albicans and other bacteria, its dense tissue structure, can prevent oil, bacteria and other harmful substances contaminated water, but there will be a trace of copper ions dissolved into the water.

Stainless steel water pipe: It is a healthy material that can be implanted into human body, the inner wall is smooth, not easy to accumulate scale, will not breed bacteria, and will not release harmful substances, and all the indexes comply with the national drinking water standard requirements.

Thermal conductivity

Copper water pipe: good thermal conductivity, commonly used in heat exchange equipment, such as air conditioning, water heater heat exchanger, but in the hot water pipeline heat dissipation fast, need to take insulation measures.

Stainless steel water pipe: low thermal conductivity, is 1/25 of the copper pipe, good insulation performance, in the hot water or HVAC system transmission can reduce heat loss, more energy efficient.

Strength and durability

Copper water pipe: high strength, pressure resistance is several times or even dozens of times the plastic pipe and aluminum-plastic pipe, mechanical properties in the thermal temperature range to remain unchanged, long service life, can be comparable with the life of the building, the normal use of frequent maintenance is not required.

Stainless steel water pipe: higher strength, 3 times that of copper pipe, 8-10 times that of PP-R pipe, can withstand high-speed water impact, service life of up to 100 years, almost no need for maintenance during the life cycle, the possibility of leakage by external forces is low.

Installation and maintenance

Copper water pipe: the installation process is mature, the connection mode has welding, clamping, inline, etc., the construction quality requirements are high, generally no maintenance after installation, but maintenance requires specialized personnel and equipment.

Stainless steel water pipe: simple and reliable installation and construction, connection methods, such as clamping, expansion ring, welding, self-locking, etc., there are a few millimeters of expansion space, which can eliminate thermal expansion and contraction tear joints of the hidden trouble.

Cost

Copper water pipe: the high cost of raw materials, resulting in more expensive, but copper fittings, high performance-price ratio, the liquid in the copper pipe flow performance is good, you can use small-sized thin-walled copper pipe, saving materials and energy consumption.

Stainless steel water pipe: Although the unit material cost is relatively high, but taking into account its long service life, maintenance-free, corrosion-resistant features, cost-effective, and with the progress of production technology and market promotion, the price gradually tends to be reasonable.